Chrysler Pitches Suburbanites with Jay-Z

This excellent commercial just caught my eye but it’s probably been out for months. The announcer growls a spiel about the Chrysler 300 over an instrumental version of “Heart of the City,” one of the most sublime backing tracks ever, as the car makes its way from downtown out to the ‘burbs. Even if Jay-Z doesn’t appear in the ad, it’s hard to dissociate this music from him for us fans.

Damn, America sure has come a long way in terms of its music taste and sensitivity to inner city/suburban cultural and economic disparities. I just hope we can restore some love to downtown Detroit someday soon. “Pride you can notice from down the street” is what Chrysler promises. What if there is no street?

I love the tempo/chord changes that shift the mood of the song back and forth from an outspoken tone to a more reflective one. In the commercial, this is used to delineate between the urban grit and suburban sunshine. Well done!